Veteran stars still very much wanted

Aaron Ward hurriedly wanted to get a picture taken with Teemu Selanne while Jason Blake patiently waited for his turn to get a snapshot with Selanne and Saku Koivu, later joking that it was for his Finnish passport.

Ward and Blake sought to capture some mementos of their time as teammates with the pair of Ducks, which may or may not have come to an end Sunday night in their 7-2 rout of Edmonton in the regular-season finale.

The Ducks failed to make the playoffs in a season for the first time since 2003-04 and their inability to do so despite the presence of eight Olympians will render them as one of the NHL's most disappointing teams.

But they clearly aren't ready to move on without Selanne, Koivu or captain Scott Niedermayer as all three potential unrestricted free agents are eagerly wanted by the club for 2010-11. Selanne and Niedermayer again will decide if they want to play another season while Koivu must consider whether or not he wants to re-sign with Anaheim.

Ducks GM Bob Murray said he hasn't considered moving on without his veteran stars, particularly what Selanne and Niedermayer ultimately choose.

"They're still good players," Murray said. "When you get older like that and you have a season like Teemu had, it's not a lot of fun when you're hurt all the time at that age. It's no fun. And then you see the ending and it was fun again for him. He was playing with a bum shoulder and he's still playing great.

"Scotty's still a great player. At some point in time, it happens. But, no, I haven't."

Murray said he believes re-signing Koivu will be about whether the veteran pivot still views the Ducks as a team that can contend.

"I would think so," Murray said. "I can't speak for him. But I've talked to his agent a little bit. Again, we've got time here. Unfortunately we have time."

The players involved say they're appreciative that the club still views them as essential core pieces.

"I talked with Murph a couple of days ago and he said he really wants me back," Selanne said. "That's always a good sign. That makes you happy as a player. It would be an easy decision for me if he wouldn't like me back."

Niedermayer echoed similar thoughts.

"I've been treated well by everybody that's been here," he said. "Brian [Burke] before and then Bob. Everybody that's been part of this organization has treated our family and myself very well. And that means a lot.

"I think I've been around long enough. I would hope that they would just be honest with me. If they felt one way or the other, that they'd let me know. I'm big enough that I can handle it either way. I've tried to answer Bob's questions when he's talked to me and give him the best insight that I can."

Koivu said he feels stronger about the team's potential now than he did when he signed a one-year deal as a free agent last July. He also said the only disappointment in his short experience with the Ducks is that they're not in the playoffs.

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